WFA Report on The Christmas Truce Carol Service & Buffet

SATURDAY DECEMBER 19TH 2009
Rod and Margaret Younger of the Norwich and Waveney WFA Branch were very fortunate to be able to attend this third tri-lingual Christmas Truce Carol Service in Pozieres, organized by Paula Flanagan-Kesteloot of the Battlefield Language Academy.

The sunny Saturday morning was followed by a very cold night in the heart of the Somme battlefields where so many young men gave their lives. Road conditions were treacherous and because the snow “lay deep and crisp and even” the delicious refreshments which followed the service were served over the road at The Tommy, instead of in Contalmaison's village hall.

The newly refurbished TOMMY is well worth a visit when in this area as it contains a fantastic collection of photographs The congregation were invited to contribute to this feast by bringing some traditional Christmas food from their own countries.

After experiencing atrocious driving conditions on the way to our destination, we were happy to put on our walking boots and see the area on foot which in the snow gave us a completely different perspective of the battlefield.

This possibly unique service consisted of carols, readings and a dance performance accompanied by pipers, a drummer boy, percussionists, guitarists, a violinist and keyboard players . Performers of all ages were thoroughly involved. Where able, the congregation enthusiastically sang a selection of traditional and more modern carols from France, Great Britain and Germany. Translations of the texts were read and included where necessary. A talented young drummer played before we sang “Little Drummer Boy” in English, French and German. This well-known and popular carol was dedicated to 16 year old Thomas Moore a drummer boy, who lies in nearby Lonsdale cemetery.

The dance group” Dissidance” from Albert gave a performance with “peace” as the theme.

There was however a very serious side to the event as we remembered also the soldiers who have been killed in very recent, ongoing conflicts.
Among the varied readings one paid tribute to Harry Patch of the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry who died on July 25th 2009.
Thanks were offered by the mayor of Pozieres, Bernard Delattre, who told us that restoration work was still being undertaken on Pozieres Church, and by Patricia Leroy, mayor of Contalmaison.
The retiring collection was for the Pozieres Church restoration fund.
We heard also this moving story, which illustrates the ties between the region and Australia . The story is of a small ivory crucifix which was removed from the rubble of this small church at Pozieres almost a century ago by a young Catholic Australian private ,Walter Henry Belbin, who was to carry this cross with him throughout the war. He survived and returned home. His daughter-in-law, Betty, said he was very attached to this treasure which he cherished. The Digger died almost three decades ago and his only son Neil, aged 87, was determined to return the cross to the rebuilt church. He was helped by the Victorian MP Bruce Wilson who traced the priest and the mayor and helped to organize the handover.
On a more lighthearted note we did sing Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, Jingle Bells and Auld Lang Syne in French and English.
This moving and enjoyable event was televised for the local regional news. When interviewed Paula stressed that not only did this service hark back to the past but was very relevant to what was happening today and to the very great sense of loss that was still being felt in Britain as young men lost their lives or were seriously wounded whilst serving their country.
A huge amount of work went into organizing the service and Paula hopes that more British people will attend in the future. She plans to organize this again next year on the Saturday before Christmas.
AUTHORS: Rod and Margaret Younger.

http://pfk-battlefieldacademy.skyrock.com/
www.pfk-languages.com

The new Scottish Bar at THE TOMMY

Dominique Zanardi has worked really hard over the last few months. He has converted the area around his bar and turned it into a cosy and modern pub lounge area. He went all the way to Scotland to purchase a carpet decorated with the black watch tartan and has used wooden panelling to add a warm touch to the walls and ceiling. Dominique was delighted with the opportunities given by two events that allowed him to inaugurate the Scottish bar and, in particular, the wooden stage area designed for live music.

Firstly, he held a Scottish St Andrew's Night thanks to the organisation and participation of Jean Luc Saint and Nicolas Choquet (The Jocks), together with other musicians, notably Jean-Luc's son Thomas, Mireille, Eliel and Miccaïah (the latter two being members of The Gleannancre Pipe Band). The atmosphere was lively and the participants were definitely in the right mood for a good time, while listening to pipes and drums.

Secondly, Dominique willingly accommodated The Christmas Truce crowd after their Carol Service in the church in Pozières. The Truce buffet always follows the Carol Service and this year the participants were delighted to come in from the cold and eat delicious snacks made by French, German and British people. They were equally delighted to be treated to a free concert given by a British trio who haven't yet found a name for themselves. (They can't agree on one!)

The trio is made up of John Anderson, Victor Piuk and Derrick Llewellyn. They played a range of Clapton and Beatles numbers, all that after playing their little hearts out in the church in Pozières. This year they rose to the challenge of playing and singing Greg Lake's I believe in Father Christmas. The congregation was really positive about this year's Truce and sang along to most of the tunes that they knew or had heard of.

The church in Pozières had been given a facelift thanks to the Mayor Bernard Delattre and his team of volunteers who worked really hard, despite snowy conditions, to make the church interior more attractive. This also provided a white backdrop above the altar for the video projections that conveyed The Battlefield Language Academy's Christmas Truce message of peace and tolerance.

By Paula Flanagan

Gearing up for the Truce.... singing... dancing and making music.

The Christmas Truce preparations are coming on nicely thanks to the efforts of a relatively small group of highly motivated French & British people.

We are very lucky to be able to count on the following for their worthy contribution:

1. On guitar / mandolin we have the amazing trio of Derrick Llewellyn, Victor Piuk and the newcomer John Anderson who can do nice twiddly bits between verses. Without their input the Truce Carol Service would not go ahead. They accompany us on those great tunes such as John Lennon's Happy Xmas War is over, Greg Lake's I believe in Father Christmas and the popular Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer in French & English. This year we will sing three moving anti-war songs in English, French and German and we will be relying on our guitarists once more for their musical talents.

We also owe a debt of gratitude to our faithful pipers and drummer: Miccaïah Kesteloot and Pascal Lebeau. Their participation sets the skin tingling when they begin the notes to Little Drummer Boy, I'm Dreaming of Home and Auld Lang Syne.

2. We have a tight-knit group of singers who rise to the linguistic challenge of singing in four languages, even if they aren't always completely sure of what they are saying. The group is mainly made up of women and we would like to see a few more men getting involved ... but carol singing and such doesn't seem to be an acceptable pastime to most Frenchmen. I put it all down to what you do in school. I reckon that attending a religious assembly every morning at Grammar School did me no harm at all. I still love singing hymns, even if I have a pretty rotten voice, and I always recall our November assembly to commemorate Remembrance Day. Our Headmaster (Mr squeaky shoes Gibson) would recite the ode (exhortation) which was carved into his wooden lectern and he would remind us of the names on the roll of honour on the wall above our heads. I think that there is a cultural void in France because of the school system which has removed all traditional / cultural rituals from the schoolday.

3. We have been joined once again by a dynamic and very enthusiastic team from Dissidance which is a dance studio in the town of Albert. The President and founder of Dissidance Anne Ferrière is one of the dancers who loves the idea of dancing in church and being inspired by different themes in different languages. This year they have developed a series of movements that grew out of the German anti-war song Das weiche Wasser bricht den Stein. Their choreographer Tayeb Benamara had 24 hours to dream up a dance during a flying visit (just like last year) and he has succeeded once again.

So we continue to gear up for our annual Truce. We enjoy what we are doing and hope that others will venture out into the cold on December 19th to share a moment of festivity with us.

The Carol Service starts at 6.30pm in the church in Pozières. Before going into church you are invited to leave your dish of something (savoury or sweet) plus a carton or bottle of juice in the village hall in Contalmaison, as that is where we will be heading after leaving the church for the traditional Truce buffet.

The Christmas Truce Carol Service on the Somme

The Battlefield Language Academy in the Somme Department is once again preparing its third consecutive Truce event. We are really looking forward to rehearsing those songs we love: Jingle Bells, Silent Night, Adeste Fideles, Gaudete, Rudolph, Merry Xmas war is over ...etc... and so forth in three or four languages; and we are excited about introducing some new anti-war tunes: Pete Seeger & Co. watch this space.

The Christmas Truce Carol Service was created to bring a moment of peace, festivity and reasoned reflection into our lives in a geographical location that saw so much horror during the First World War.

People from different walks of life and different nations meet up in December in the church in Pozières to sing together and to listen to readings that evoke the need for pacifism and collective respect in a world where so much is imperfect.

The events in Iraq and Afghanistan have added to the poignancy of the Truce event.

After leaving the event in the church the congregation moves to another location where festive dishes (representing culinary preferences in different countries) await them. Singing makes you hungry - and thirsty. This year we will head to the village hall in Contalmaison for our post-Truce feast.

We hope you will join us. Visit Fabrice Colson's website for photos of the event and visit The Battlefield Language Academy's blog pages. Both can be found on our list of links.

Battlefield Walk: American & French History combined

A small group of battlefield enthusiasts spent the whole of Sunday 30th August in the Aisne. Killing two birds with one stone (or improving the shining hour) they started off in the glistening American Cemetery in Bony and then visited nearby Villeret. The sight of the stars & stripes at half mast, paying homage to Edward Kennedy, reminded them that the land upon which they stood was part of a country that lay far away across a wide ocean.

The group was warmly received by Craig Rahanian who gave up his time to speak about the global nature of American cemeteries and then focus on individuals buried at Bony. The group was a European mixture itself of English, Scottish, Welsh, French & Belgian WW1 scholars and this echoed the nature of the cemetery: the names on the pristine marble crosses and stars of David bearing witness to the soldiers' origins in the Old World.

The group moved off on foot to Villeret then Hargival to rediscover the story of an occupied zone under the German boot. Ben Macintyre's factual narrative (A Foreign Field) has uncovered every detail of the tortured existence of both the villagers and the British and Irish soldiers they harboured. Walking the Rue d'En Bas one struggles to visualise the secret goings on there.

A chance encounter with an elderly lady in the local cemetery brought the memories of Teutonic sadism in two world wars flooding back. "He denounced my father" she said, pointing to a very grandiose grey stone tomb. "My father was deported because of him. Look at him now in his fancy grave, paid for with German money."

The group stood awkwardly by as she delivered a speech of regret and anger. They could understand her bitterness but felt it was useless to perpetuate hatred. It was a tense, deeply sad moment. If the dead in Villeret's local cemetery could rise up and talk the bickering may well continue: resistance fighters challenging collaborators. Or would they do different and wish to provide a sound philosophical lesson for those who are left ?

Good bye Harry Patch

It was with sadness that I learned of the demise of Harry Patch this summer. I had just finished reading his autobiography so his passing away was particularly poignant. What struck me most, when I read his book, was that he was profoundly marked by the disappearance of the D-Day allied troups and dwelled upon their loss very deeply, perhaps moreso - at least in the book- than on the tragedies he witnessed in Flanders. His anti-war stance and his symbolic funeral make his existence count for a great deal. Harry felt that death was not the end; his experiences in the First World War convinced him of the possibility of a passage to another world. Let us therefore say Good bye and not Farewell to Harry Patch.

Summer on the Somme 2009

The sacred holiday period began with a hot period for the annual 1st July ceremonies to commemorate The Battle of the Somme. Hats and suncream were needed at Thiepval as the sun rose high in the sky towards lunchtime. However, those who witnessed the Royal Scots' event at Contalmaison began the day shivering in short sleeves, but didn't regret getting up early. Jack Alexander (actually very young and trendy; I expected him to have white hair and a beard) was flanked by the khaki chums providing a great photo opportunity for the public. As usual, it was a ceremony with a difference. The minister (see photo) was impressive as usual with his sage pronouncements and the guitar solo was a delight. For excellent photos of the event see Fabrice Colson's website.

Moving on in July we come to the Sound & Light Show in Pozières. The clouds did not smile on the event but those who turned up will have been satisfied with their efforts. (You are advised to take blankets, umbrellas / raincoats and a flask of something hot). The event attracted a greater number of non-French visitors this year, which is something Yves Potard will be proud of. The Sound & Light Show deals with issues and stories that will move the battlefield tourists more than the locals, so this has to be the way forward. Three Britons have already "starred " in the event (Denis Watson, Paula Kesteloot & Lawrence Brown). Again, you can check out Fabrice's site for a feast of photos.

We are now in mid-August and the weather has been quite kind to us so far, having been rather gloomy for most of July. But what do you do in France when most of the French are off work, or when those that are in work are determined not to do anything energetic or productive. August is August after all. In August in France you must not fall seriously ill or have car problems. You or your car may have to perish. In fact, I would strongly advise spending August in a country where quite a lot of people go to work with the intention of getting something done. It's perhaps an ideal opportunity for a trip home outre-Manche to stock up on the old salt & vinegar crisps.

Nonetheless, if you are holidaying in the Somme and are bored I would recommend you pootle on down to these places:

• the swimming pool in Corbie with its many waterslides (or try Moreuil). In Albert they have spent a lot of money on adding a new outdoor section to the pool but it is sadly overshadowed by the facilities in Corbie.



• the temporary exhibition on Tardi at the Historial which is very well done, even though I kept on worrying about how much of my (taxpayers') money had been used to pay for it.



• the beaches in the Somme Bay (Quend, Fort Mahon & Berck are somewhat Blackpoolish, whereas French people who think they are a cut above the rest go to Le Touquet in the Pas de Calais - this happens to be a very British enclave). When on the beach you are advised to watch out for dog poo! Not very nice when you are barefoot.



• the meeting points of the various summer guided walks offered by different organisations in and around Albert. These are free of charge and some are guided by people who speak English.

So, have a good time and make the most of the remaining summer nights.